---
title: Why Exorbitant Government Spending Can Go On Forever
date: 2025-10-03T00:00:00
author: Charlie M.
category: SIGNAL
---
The other day, I was sitting in the morning light, sipping a mug of coffee, trying to shake off the remnants of a dream that had something to do with fish or maybe clouds shaped like fish. Who knows. I found myself scrolling through my phone, that mindless rabbit hole that seemingly leads everywhere and nowhere. And in between half-read articles and the usual barrage of Instagram stories, I stumbled upon something about government spending. Exorbitant, they called it. I remembered reading something about how deficits were a big deal in econ class, but honestly, I think I might've snoozed through most of that part.
And here’s where it gets confusing —the idea that maybe, just maybe, this endless spending can go on... well, forever? But, can it really? I mean, I still try to wrap my head around my own spending. Like when did I justify a $6 oat milk latte as a necessary expense? If I can’t keep track of my own wallet, how does it work on a national level?
I decided to dig a bit deeper, in that half-hearted, procrastinatory way that leads me to Wikipedia and random YouTube economics channels. There was something about modern monetary theory (MMT), which, as far as my brain grasped, suggests that countries with their own currency can keep spending because they can just print more money. It sounds a bit like a cheat code in a video game, and why didn’t anyone tell me about this back when I was stressing about my student loans? But then, I also remember something about hyperinflation in Zimbabwe or the Weimar Republic, where money was cheaper than wallpaper. Or maybe it was wallpaper cheaper than money? See, this is the part where I start doubting everything.
But really, if it’s that simple, then why are people always freaking out about national debt? It was mentioned somewhere that Japan has a debt that's like 200% of its GDP, yet they seem to be doing fine. Is "doing fine" a technical economic term, or just my blurry interpretation of cherry-picked data points? There’s comfort in the fuzzy thinking here because certainty feels like more than I can offer.
I wonder if this idea—endless money creation—makes sense for the rest of us. Like, can I apply this to my own financial life? Spoiler: It hasn't worked out for me before. Like that one time I thought credit cards were just swipe and forget. Reality hits differently when bills come due, and "forever" becomes more "until next month."
But, maybe governments operate in some parallel universe where the rules flex? I don’t know. It’s like the paradox of working out: you think you’re making progress with those burpees, but then you eat an entire pizza alone on a Tuesday night, and the scales just laugh at you. An echo of the same confusion, trying to square up actions with consequences that might or might not come.
And what about the average person? Are we affected by this government spend-a-palooza? Like, is that why the price of avocados is always on the rise, or is that just seasonal? It’s hard to say. I’d ask someone in the know, but I’d probably get sidetracked talking about why it’s okay to eat breakfast foods for dinner.
So yeah, the idea of eternal government spending is fascinating, like a fairy tale wrapped in complex economic theory that I think I get but probably don't. Do I believe it? I don’t know. Some days, it feels like belief is as flexible as my willpower to avoid doomscrolling at midnight. Maybe that’s the point, or maybe there is no point. I haven’t figured it out yet, and maybe that's okay.